Basic Drum Beats

Getting Started

When you first start playing the drums, you’ll usually start with a few drum rudiments and a couple basic beats on the drums. Most beginning drummers start with a simple rock beat and then another variation of that same beat. If you’re going to be playing jazz, one of those beats might be the swing ride pattern. It really doesn’t matter that every drummer start out playing the same way but it does matter that you cover the basics first. In other words, crawl before your walk.

Types of Drumset Beats

The most commonly played beat is some variation of the rock beat but there are lots to choose from. Pick beats that align with your personal interest and style of music that you want to play first and foremost. Some of the more popular beat patterns are the rock beat, the jazz beat, the country beat, the funk beat and the blues beat. Of course there are also styles of drumming like metal, bluegrass, reggae and others that have their own specific sound and texture.

Do I need a Drum Teacher?

Whether or not to hire a drum teacher is an individual choice for each player. If you start playing the drumset in school band, you’ll get some instruction in the class room but the band director will usually recommend outside the school. It’s always a good idea (whether you start in school or not) to take some private lessons in the beginning so that you stave off any bad habits. A drum teacher can help lay down a firm foundation for you. Then, you can go at your own pace from there.

Drum Resources

It’s helpful to know a lot of the good drum sites to visit for quality information on learning the drumset. Check out Drumming.com, DrumTips.com, Drum Rudiments.com as a start. Also, don’t miss DrumLinks.com for hundreds of links to the industry. There you’ll find everything from drum lessons to to drum schools and everything in-between.